Flame resistant polymers containing amide complexes of metal salts

ABSTRACT

FLAME RESISTANT POLYMERS, SUCH AS HALOGENATED POLYESTER AND POLYVINYL CHLORIDE AMIDE COMPLEXES OF CERTAIN METAL SALTS SUCH AS ZINC CHLORIDE-N-METHYLPYROLIDONE, AND ARTICLES SUCH AS MOLDED BODIES, FILMS, ETC., OF SUCH FLAME-RESISTANT POLYMERS.

S ews. P ten Int. Cl. (108(45/62; C08g 51/62 Us. or. zen-45.75 R 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Flameresistant polymers, such as halogenated polyesters and polyvinyl chloride containing amide complexes of certain metal salts such as zinc chloride-N-methylpyrrolidone, and articles such as molded bodies, films, etc., .of such flame-resistant polymers.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional of my copending application Ser. No. 165,717, -filedJuly 23, 1971, now US. Pat: 3,705,128, issued Dec. 5, 1973.

BACKGROUNDOF INVENTION Complexes of, various metal saltswith amides are reported by S; J. Kuhn et al.,Canadian J. Chemistry, 43, 375 (1965), by M. A. J. Iungbauer et al., Nature, 202, 290 (1964), by M. Glavas et al., LInorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 31, 291 (19,69), and by W. E. Bull et al., Inorganic Chemistry, 2, 303 (1963). Spectroscopic, thermal, and electrochemical data were developed to help elucidate the structure of these complexes. British Pat. 774,956 discloses iron salt complexes with a variety of amides for use as organic soluble carbonylation catalysts."

Antimony, tin and zinc oxides have been used as flame retardants in the presence, of halogenated compounds. A number of borates, such as zinc borate, also are known flame retardants. These metal oxides and borates, however, are quite insoluble in most organic systems, producing pigmentation and opacity in articles containing them. Therefore, they are unsuitable for use wherehigh levels of light transmission are required.

TheQhfilidfiS of metals such as antimony, tin and zinc are also. .knownto flameletardants (,,Modern Plastics, p. 1 102,.September. l96.6) ..These salts,,however, have a itendencyto .degrade. many polymeric systems and thus their use as flame retardants is quite limited. For example, zinc chloride causes severe discoloration and loss of strength in halogenated polyesters.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relatesto flame resistant polymers conin the molten polymer or prepolymer' or they canbe dis w sohtedwith. the polymeror. .prepolymer. in .amutual SO11.

complexes can. b nsedfnith. o h rfian retardan su h as phosphorous and antimony compounds.

Patented Apr. 16, 1974 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The complexes useful for purposes of the invention can be illustrated by the following formula where Exemplary of the complexes useful for the invention is:

ZnVl 2 (N-methylpyrrolidone) The amide'complexes of the invention can be prepared according to the methods of S. J. Kuhn et al., Canadian J. Chemistry, 43, 375 (1965), W. E. Bull et al., Inorganic Chemistry, 2, 303 (1963), and US. Pat. 3,297,425.

The preferred polymeric materials are halogenated polyesters and polyvinyl chloride. Examples of suitable halogenated polyesters are given in R. C. Nametz, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, vol. 59 (1967), pp. 99-116. Further examples of suitable halogenated polyesters are described in U.S. Pats. 2,810,712 and 3,536,782; these materials may be characterized as halogenated unsaturated polyesters derived from a halogenated unsaturated polycarboxylic acid and a polyol.

The term polyvinyl chloride as used herein is intended to include polymers and copolymers of vinyl chloride and compositions containing such a polymer or copolymers in combination with a plasticizing agent to increase the polymer or 'copolymers workability or flexibility. Examples of plasticizing agents can be found in Modern Plastics Encyclopedia, 1970-71, pp. 856- 867. The manner of using such plasticizers,-the properties imparted by their use and the mechanism involved are reviewed in Encyclopedia of Polymer Science, 2nd ed., vol. '10,'pp. 228-306.

Other polymeric materials which can be made flame resistant with the amide complexes include polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polymethylmethacrylate, polyesters, polyurethanes, polystyrene, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers, epoxy resins, acrylonitrilebutadienestyrene terpolymers, formaldehye polymers, polycarbonates, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, ureaformaldehyde polymers and phenolformaldehyde polymers.- J

If the polymeric material does not'inherently contain halogen; the amide complex should be added with a matetions it is used.

' j In' general, the' amount' ofamide complex which is added to the polymeric material to impart flame retardancy will be 'in a range; of from to 30% by weight Below 0.5% little improvement in flame r etardancy is obtained. Above 30% addedimprovements in flame retardancy ara aalla d he...dstsr a i n 9 9 9? m srt s of the polymeric material is apt tooccur. The preferred level at 3 amide complex in the polymer is in the range of from 1 to 10% by weight.

The amide complexes can be incorporated into the polymer by mixing the dry powders with the powdered or melted polymer using any of the techniques currently used EXAMPLE 2 A 8" x 7" x A" polyester panel is made by mixing in the art for mixing antimony oxide or other solid pigthe following ingfedifints and hot Pressing themment or filler with polymeric materials for extrusion or Percent blow h Altemahfely theforhplexes can he Hetron 23925 (a polyethylenechlorendate/styrene solved with the polymeric material in a mutual solvent polyester Supplied by Hooker Chemical 944 such as N,N-d1methylformam1de. c1' .2 4 7 If desired, the amide complexes can also be mixed Benzoyl peroxide L0 wtih prepolymers prior to hot pressing and casting operations. Flame retarded, reinforced polyester panels hav- 23925 65111 and the ZHCIZ'ZDMF are ing high light transmission can be produced this way. mlxeq 30 mlhutes at f 1 and then the f'h As the molecular weight of the amide portion of the Peroxide added The 9 i 1S stlrrfd for an addmonal complex increases, the organic solubility of the complex mmutes before pounhg,1t mm a I x 7" X q increases. As the solubility increases, the light transmisat 45-500 The mold Placed a hot press wlth sion of polymeric materials containing the amide complex 29,000 on h dlametfir (6-50 cm) Plstoh, increases. The solubility of the complexes is sufficiently and heated accordmg to the followmg schedulehigh in halogenated polyesters and polyvinyl chloride so 20 Ti i t Temperature that flame retardant articles can be made having a high 15 79 (3, (175 1 degree of clarity. 20 107 3, 255

The flame resistant polymers of the invention can con- 0 35 c, 275 tain, in addition to the amide complexes, other flame reo 1 tardant compounds such as antimony oxide, zinc borate, The then 2 121 (250 i tricresylphosphate, or alumina hydrate and to 65 C. (149 F.) with water before removing the Both the metallic and amide portions of the complex mold from the f I present in the flame resistant polymers of the invention can gh vghlch has fi Znc Mf Stals :3 p be identified by relatively simple analytical methods. The 50 i galls ucent an as an amma 1 method used for the metallic species is X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. This method is discussed by I. M. Kolthoif, T3 ig (Zmc g g i l z P. J. Elving, and E. B. Sandell in Treatise on Analytical 2:? z g i ggg g gfi g gig gg Chemistry, vol. 5, John Wile & Sons, NY. (1964); articularly in part 1, section D 3, chapter 60. It is also disentailed EXAMPLE 3 cussed by H. A. Liebhassky, X-ray Absorption and Emission in Analytical Chemistry, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. A g" X 7" X polyester pane1 i ad b mixing th following ingredients and hot pressing them.

The method used for the amide portion is mass spectros- P nt copy. The flame retarded polymer is ground into a fine 4O H t 23925 91,7 powder. A sample of the powder is placed in a sample ZnCl -2NM'P 7.4 tube in the mass spectrometer. The temperature of the B l id 0,9 sample probe is gradually raised until mass peaks are observed. The sample can be irradiated'with from 15 to The mgffidlenis are m1xefi and hot Pressed acwrdmgfio 80 e.v. and the amide identified by its fragmentation patthe cohdlhohs descnhed Example The h h tern and molecular ion. The American Petroleum Institute P 9 15 crystal c1%! and has an BLT-15 flammablht, (API) reference spectra can be used to help in the analysis mung of of the spectrum. API Reference Spectrum No. 1133 is for EXAMPLE 4 DMP, v I! I! 1 II The following examples will serve to further illustrate f g i g ga fig 21 2: 5 Ei y mmng the the mvention. In these examples all percentages are weight Percent percent. The HLT-15 flammability test method referred Dion FR6399 962 to is described by R. E. McMahon et al., 25th Annual 1 .2 p 29 Technical Conference (1970). Remforced Plastrcs/Com- Benzoyl peroxide L0 posites Division of the Society of the Plastic Industry, Inc., in section 9-C, pp. 1-12. The ingredients are mixed and hot pressed according EXAMPLE '1 to the cond1t1ons described in Example 2. The resulting panel is crystal clear and has an HLT-15 flammability The complexes useful in the invention are synthesized rating of 100, 1 by dissolving the metal halide in excess amide solvent. The What is claimed is: excess solvent is then stripped at -l00 C. and 1-10 mm. 1. A flame resistant composition of matter consisting of mercury, leaving the crude residual complex. The comessentially of a polymeric material selected from the plexes can be recrystallized or used in the crude form. group consisting of halogenated unsaturated. polyesters An exemplary complex, melting point, recrystallization derived from a halogenated unsaturated polycarboxylic solvent and infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance acid and a polyol, and polyvinyl chloride and from 0.5

TABLE I Recrystal- LR. ('7) N.M.R. (p.p.m.) lization Ex. Complex M.P. solvent 7 C=O NC=O N-CH:

1 zllclrzNMP 0445a Cyclohex- 1,030 2. 99 3.58 (0.51), 2.82 and -245 (0,2, and C411,).

N-methylpyrrolidoneanone' 1,070 2.85 3.42 ergo, 2.55-1.62 (Cage-0E1).

Subscript on carbon indicates the ring position and not the number of carbons.

6 to 30% by weight, based on said polymeric material, of 3. A composition of claim 1 wherein the polymeric an amide complex of the formula: material is polyvinyl chloride.

4-. A composition of claim 1 wherein the amide com- E If: plex is ZnClyZN-methylpyrrolidone. M X lib '-N X 5 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS where, 1,867,658 7/1932 Dreyfus 117-136 M is boron, aluminum, lI'OIl, ZlIlC, lead, tin or antimony; 2 838 424 6/1958 Depew X is chlorine, bromine, or iodine; 10 a is an integer in the range of from 2-5 such that the 3/1966 Rapp 260 salt MX is neutral;

DONALD E. CZAJA, Primary Examiner R is hydrogen or alkyl of 1-3 carbon atoms;

1; i 1 2; d V. P. HOKE, Assistant Examiner n is 3 or 4. 15 2. A composition of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material is a halogenated polyester. 260-458 N, 45.75 B, 45.75 K, 860 

